A Kite.In a story this twisted, there are no happy endings… for anybody.This is a pretty controversial show. Two episodes, each running about 30 minutes. It's an intense action/drama revolving around a young orphan girl who was turned into a vigilante assassin by a crooked cop. It was initially packaged as a hentai anime, which on the surface that would be enough to turn away most. But this particular show has many layers.
The story goes as follows: a legit anime director (Yasuomi Umetsu) was asked by a production company to produce a hentai for them, to which he agreed, primarily because it was the only way he would be able to tell the story he wanted to tell. Unfortunately it meant that he was going to have to stoop to doing something he really didn't want to do. There were going to have to be sex scenes.
The resulting anime has become a cult classic. Most hentai is essentially cartoon porn, not requiring a very deep story considering explicite sex scenes are the foundation. A Kite has another foundation entirely. The story and the characters -- not the sex scenes -- are the catalyst for this show. It's a crime drama, a hard-hitting action adventure, and a heartrending tragedy, all rolled into one.
At its heart A Kite is one of the grisliest shows I've ever witnessed. The characters aren't exactly likeable, but they are as real as it gets for anime. You feel for the lead character, whose perfect life was stolen from her at such a young age. You hate the villains... some of the nastiest characters to date in any median. In a story this twisted, there are no happy endings… for anybody.
I would suggest, if you get the chance to watch it, DO SO. You can't go wrong with this show. Now, that said, go with the edited version (and you won't hear rainshadow say that very often). This version has had the sex scenes removed -- which are honestly out of place when considering the quality of the rest of the show.
Even without the sex, however, A Kite is not a show for the faint of heart. The lead character is a vigilante assassin, and death runs rampant. The creators pulled no punches in depicting death as a grisly and gruesome business. Both audio tracks (Japanese and English) are of excellent, boasting strong casts, and the animation is very good.
STORY - Not exactly unique in any median, but at its core A Kite makes what should seem familiar into a wholly new experience. Score: * * * *
CHARACTERS - There is no one likeable in this series... but there's not a character in the show that doesn't spin your emotions in all sorts of crazy directions. Score: * * * *
ANIMATION - It isn’t as clean as many anime (in fact in some places it gets choppy), but that fits the tone of a dark and grisly tale. Score: * * *
AUDIO/SOUNDTRACK - Love the music in this one. A little jazzy. A little edgy. The English voice dub is very good. A little drab in places, but it fits the mood. Score: * * * ½
INTANGIBLES - This anime is hard-hitting, fast-paced action that hits you in the gut from the word go and never lets up. The uncensored version isn’t necessary to see if you are worried about losing the impact of the story. In fact, in most cases the scenes removed from the cut version feel unnecessary when watching the uncut version. Score: * * * *
TOTAL SCORE: 18.5 points out of 20. (3. 7 stars)
WARNING: Uncut title contains scenes of explicit sex, rape, and violence. Some scenes DO involve minors. There are two versions containing what are said to be “uncut” in the U.S. today. One is the directors’ cut, and the other is the special edition cut (the one I have seen, and the one that contains the content in its original form). There is also an edited version which has removed the sex scenes and is the most viewer friendly version, but it still contains scenes of graphic violence.
